Your Character's Name: Robert Winston
“Get the hell outta here! I’ll shove this bomb down your throat! Don’t think I won’t!”
The black woman was wearing a tattered patchwork cloak that assaulted the eyes with all the clashing colors. It streamed behind her in the wind along with her puffed pigtails. Her eyes were wide, and far older than her looks would indicate.
The eyes of the Bandits however, were determined. “Miss, there’s no need for this.” One of the Bandits stepped forward, flanked by two others. “Stand down. This building needs to be investigated. It may not be safe.”
I started to move forward, but Rio put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. “Come on, man. Let’s wait and see. If we stay out of it, we can trade for information after. We are trying to clear their name.”
I pressed my lips together, but nodded. He was right, and I knew it. I didn’t like what was going down, but no one in their right mind got in the middle of tussle involving one of the major factions. And while the Bandits were generally the most well meaning of the lot, that’s like saying one Zoo Cat is less carnivorous than another.
“Safe enough, you rat bastards! This is my home, and it don’t need no investigating!”
“Miss, this may be your home, but this is OUR neighborhood. You abide by our rules, and our rules say we investigate every home in a block we protect.”
“I didn’t ask you to protect nothing! Go away, I can protect myself, don’t think I can’t!” She woman shook her fist at them, rattling the pipe bomb. Rio winced.
The spokesman nodded to his fellows and the Bandits moved in. The woman twitched and she threw the bomb towards the spokesman, screaming as she did so.
“Look out!” The three Bandits scattered. Or tried to. One wasn’t fast enough and was engulfed in the explosion. “Charlie!” The other Bandits looked on in horror, then rage.
The woman jumped down a hole in the roof, and the Bandits charged inside. There were sounds of a struggle, then nothing. I turned to Rio. “Let’s see if we can get in their good graces by helping any wounded.”
“You go ahead, man. I’m staying back. Something about this doesn’t sit right.”
I shrugged. I didn’t completely disagree with him, I felt like we were wandering aimlessly in the dark. I wanted at least I direction, other than some vague fruit store north of here. Not having an idea of what we’re walking into leaves me cold.
I turned to see if anyone else was with me. Ian nodded, but Bordeaux was curled up in the fetal position. She was muttering “fire bad, trees pretty” over and over again. Great. A psycho and afraid of fire.
Funny, she struck me as the type to start fires for fun.
I shook my head in disgust and sprinted over to the Bandits, hands held up, palms out. “We have bandages. We want to help.”
They stared at us like we were insane. Hell, maybe we were.
One of the Bandits shook his head and pointed us to a few smaller wounds, and at a nod, a few of them pointed their crossbows at us. Sensible. I tried not to get offended, since I would’ve done the same.
As we got closer, I saw why he waved us off from the burned one. He wouldn’t last longer. Not much skin was left, though he was screaming in agony. Ian retched behind me.
We took care of the few shrapnel wounds there were. Thankfully, there weren’t many. I stood up and watched a Bandits lay his cloak over his fallen companion. I looked away. This world may suck, but we don’t forget the niceties that make us human.
“Who the hell are you two?”
I turned and saw the Bandits coming out of the broken liquor store. The one who had been doing all the talking was coming toward us.
“Are you with her?” He pointed back at the now unconscious woman, who was draped over another Bandit’s shoulder.
I shook my head. “No. We were coming out of another building when everything went down.”
“Why should I believe you?”
I shrugged, “Do, or don’t. We’re just looking for information. We’re looking into New Bottsford.”
The Bandit laughed. It was bitter. “So have a lot of people. What makes you different?”
“Nothing. I doubt I could tell you anything you haven’t already heard a million times.”
The Bandit looked at me, as if for the first time. “Honesty. That’s something I rarely hear. I’m Elegen Thatcher. I run this motley lot of Bandits. I’m afraid I really don’t have anything to tell you. This woman may have ties to it but that’s it. We’re taking her for both questioning and retraining. Her skills may come in handy.”
“Into kidnapping are you?”
We turned to see Bordeaux looking down her nose at all of us, which was a trick since she was a head shorter that all of us. Rio shook his head at me and rolled his eyes.
“She’s dangerous.”
“More than you?”
“We wouldn’t throw explosives off the roof of an explosives stock pile, if that’s what you mean. This woman’s skills could help us keep the people here safe.”
“And her thoughts don’t matter?”
“Bordeaux!”
“No, no. It’s alright. It is a fair question.” Elegen walked closer. “Miss, you may have noticed that this is a harsh world. This woman,” he pointed at the bomber, “can either work with us or against us. We have families, children, under our care. I will not let her fall under anyone else’s sway. So, no. She does not have any say in it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a explosive cache to seal and tag for the MPD. And before you raise hell over that, consider that smaller groups like ours live at their sufferance. I will not apologize for doing what I need to protect my own.”
Bordeaux looked like she was going to argue, but I glared and for a wonder, she shut up. I thanked Elegen, and ordered our group to move out.
“Get the hell outta here! I’ll shove this bomb down your throat! Don’t think I won’t!”
The black woman was wearing a tattered patchwork cloak that assaulted the eyes with all the clashing colors. It streamed behind her in the wind along with her puffed pigtails. Her eyes were wide, and far older than her looks would indicate.
The eyes of the Bandits however, were determined. “Miss, there’s no need for this.” One of the Bandits stepped forward, flanked by two others. “Stand down. This building needs to be investigated. It may not be safe.”
I started to move forward, but Rio put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. “Come on, man. Let’s wait and see. If we stay out of it, we can trade for information after. We are trying to clear their name.”
I pressed my lips together, but nodded. He was right, and I knew it. I didn’t like what was going down, but no one in their right mind got in the middle of tussle involving one of the major factions. And while the Bandits were generally the most well meaning of the lot, that’s like saying one Zoo Cat is less carnivorous than another.
“Safe enough, you rat bastards! This is my home, and it don’t need no investigating!”
“Miss, this may be your home, but this is OUR neighborhood. You abide by our rules, and our rules say we investigate every home in a block we protect.”
“I didn’t ask you to protect nothing! Go away, I can protect myself, don’t think I can’t!” She woman shook her fist at them, rattling the pipe bomb. Rio winced.
The spokesman nodded to his fellows and the Bandits moved in. The woman twitched and she threw the bomb towards the spokesman, screaming as she did so.
“Look out!” The three Bandits scattered. Or tried to. One wasn’t fast enough and was engulfed in the explosion. “Charlie!” The other Bandits looked on in horror, then rage.
The woman jumped down a hole in the roof, and the Bandits charged inside. There were sounds of a struggle, then nothing. I turned to Rio. “Let’s see if we can get in their good graces by helping any wounded.”
“You go ahead, man. I’m staying back. Something about this doesn’t sit right.”
I shrugged. I didn’t completely disagree with him, I felt like we were wandering aimlessly in the dark. I wanted at least I direction, other than some vague fruit store north of here. Not having an idea of what we’re walking into leaves me cold.
I turned to see if anyone else was with me. Ian nodded, but Bordeaux was curled up in the fetal position. She was muttering “fire bad, trees pretty” over and over again. Great. A psycho and afraid of fire.
Funny, she struck me as the type to start fires for fun.
I shook my head in disgust and sprinted over to the Bandits, hands held up, palms out. “We have bandages. We want to help.”
They stared at us like we were insane. Hell, maybe we were.
One of the Bandits shook his head and pointed us to a few smaller wounds, and at a nod, a few of them pointed their crossbows at us. Sensible. I tried not to get offended, since I would’ve done the same.
As we got closer, I saw why he waved us off from the burned one. He wouldn’t last longer. Not much skin was left, though he was screaming in agony. Ian retched behind me.
We took care of the few shrapnel wounds there were. Thankfully, there weren’t many. I stood up and watched a Bandits lay his cloak over his fallen companion. I looked away. This world may suck, but we don’t forget the niceties that make us human.
“Who the hell are you two?”
I turned and saw the Bandits coming out of the broken liquor store. The one who had been doing all the talking was coming toward us.
“Are you with her?” He pointed back at the now unconscious woman, who was draped over another Bandit’s shoulder.
I shook my head. “No. We were coming out of another building when everything went down.”
“Why should I believe you?”
I shrugged, “Do, or don’t. We’re just looking for information. We’re looking into New Bottsford.”
The Bandit laughed. It was bitter. “So have a lot of people. What makes you different?”
“Nothing. I doubt I could tell you anything you haven’t already heard a million times.”
The Bandit looked at me, as if for the first time. “Honesty. That’s something I rarely hear. I’m Elegen Thatcher. I run this motley lot of Bandits. I’m afraid I really don’t have anything to tell you. This woman may have ties to it but that’s it. We’re taking her for both questioning and retraining. Her skills may come in handy.”
“Into kidnapping are you?”
We turned to see Bordeaux looking down her nose at all of us, which was a trick since she was a head shorter that all of us. Rio shook his head at me and rolled his eyes.
“She’s dangerous.”
“More than you?”
“We wouldn’t throw explosives off the roof of an explosives stock pile, if that’s what you mean. This woman’s skills could help us keep the people here safe.”
“And her thoughts don’t matter?”
“Bordeaux!”
“No, no. It’s alright. It is a fair question.” Elegen walked closer. “Miss, you may have noticed that this is a harsh world. This woman,” he pointed at the bomber, “can either work with us or against us. We have families, children, under our care. I will not let her fall under anyone else’s sway. So, no. She does not have any say in it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a explosive cache to seal and tag for the MPD. And before you raise hell over that, consider that smaller groups like ours live at their sufferance. I will not apologize for doing what I need to protect my own.”
Bordeaux looked like she was going to argue, but I glared and for a wonder, she shut up. I thanked Elegen, and ordered our group to move out.
To the north we go.
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